King of the Dead is the second Cirith Ungol LP. It was produced by Cirith Ungol and released July 1984 on Enigma Records. It was re-released September 1999 on Metal Blade Records. It is the only album without any "Fire"-song. The other three albums have Frost and Fire, A Little Fire, The Fire and Fire. The cover was painted by Michael Whelan and is like the album, entitled "King of the Dead". The sound is a dozen of pounds heavier than the debut album. It is also their most epic, progressive and conceptual album. It was the first CU album I bought, and it's today my favourite ungol LP.

I find more darkness and ´dread´ in a Cirith Ungol LP like KING OF THE DEAD
than any Obituary or Cannibal Corpse record ever offered me.

-King Fowley, Apr 2004

The cover was painted by Michael Whelan for Michael Moorcock's book The Bane of the Black Sword.

In the band's own words

It's going to be a million times more radical. People aren't going to know it's the same band. The lyrics are much more intense and the music is heavy.

Tim Baker, Heavy Metal Times 1983 (the year before release)

Frost And Fire and King Of The Dead are my favorites.
KOTD is CU's classic. The production is 100% heavier than on Frost And
Fire.

-Greg Lindstrom

King of the Dead was our best album, the reason was that we had
total control over it. Every album could have been this good if we
could have exercised complete control over its production and other
things. This is the album which I feel is our best effort. The reason
the long wait between albums is because when you are financing them
yourselves, you have to come up with the money to pay for things like
studio time. Plus being on all these independent labels their time
tables are slower. I also did all the layout and design of the first
three covers, all this while we were all working full time trying to
sponsor the dream.

-Robert Garven

Cirith Ungols Best Album

As co-founder and drummer of Cirith Ungol for 22 years I feel I can say
without a doubt that this was our best effort. A previous reviewer
mentioned that "Frost & Fire" sounded thrown together. The real
truth is that we had been in the band for 9 years already and "Frost
& Fire" was our attempt to get airplay and find success with what
we conpagered some of our more accessable music. When the local LA
station KLOS played it once and conpagered it too heavy, we decided to
go for broke with our second album. I disagree and think Tim singing is
not only excellent and that "Frost & Fire" has some of his best
vocals. "'Im Alive" was one of our all time best songs, which we
started almost every set with. The LA Times said that Pearl Jams
"Alive" was a blatant rip off of our song, which is debatable.
Conpagering we produced, self recorded and paid for the entire project
and that we were one of if not the first independent band to put out
their own album during the wave of indie productions during that time,
I think F&F and KOTD is a mandatory listen.

That said "King of the Dead" is my favorite and the last album
which we had total control over. I am proud that we are mentioned in
the same breath as bands that were epic and hope you all appreciate
what we were trying to acomplish at a time when only big label bands
had any chance of distribution or airplay.

Robert Garven: Personally, no. I tried to climb aboard but was thrown off. However I
drive a red machine on weekends. My other dream was to get a Ferrari.
After the band broke up and I paid off all the bills I got married bought
a garage with a small house attached, and realized my dream. Weekends find
me in the garage listening to bands like ASKA, Fireball Ministry or Riot,
taking apart my carburetors (it has 8), or taking something apart. Since
my dream of music has died, this is my passion now, and it runs deep, very
deep.

Lyrics

Climb aboard the Black Machine
Fills your head with evil dreams
Fills your head with thoughts of fire
A quick escape your one desire

Ride The Black Machine

Pearly whites behind back dawn lips
Ride with the Masters of the Pit
Snapping jaws of the dogs of doom
Kick your way from this stagnant tomb

Ride the Black Machine

Climb aboard the Black Machine
To that place you've never been
The Black Machine will take you higher
Your burning souls our one desire

Track 3 may be the band's fines musical moment ever in the form of "Master Of The Pit", where Cirith Ungol becomes almost in a trance while delivering some of the absolute most intense "jamming" ever recorded! The guitar playing in this song alone should bring shivers to anyone who lives for and follows the charm of ark heavy metal. A 100% masterpiece!

-King
Fowley, liner notes

Lyrics

Pray you never kneel
To the Master of the Pit
Violently stirring their brew of corruption Lords of the dark summon certain destruction

Pray you never kneel
To the one who calls you slave
With the hearts and tongues of the Gods
in the hands
The Legions of Hell below forth their commands

Bow down and kneel
To the Master of the Pit
Through the powers of Chaos are those you abide
You raise your sword to cast him apage

You know there's no escape
When you see your world in flames
As the hellrains pound the darkening land Man and sword begin their last stand

You know you'll never kneel
To the Master of the Pit
Feverish prayers of life everafter
As your doom driven blade
drinks the soul of the Master

The title cut follows and againt we're treated to a huge dose of classic C.U.. Dread (what else?). The bottom end bass just roars from Michael "Flint" Vujea and the almost subliminal, psychedelic tones in the guitar gives way for drummer Robert Garven's infamous gong. And the stage is set for almost 7 minutes of all that makes Cirith Ungol great. This song is a perfect showcase of where the band's dark heart lies.

Singer Tim Baker was always loathed by many critics for his overly raw vocal delivery, but without Tim's evil delivery tracks like "Finger Of Scorn" just wouldn't have worked. While the band sets the mood Tim sets the intensity while pulling out and grabbing from within his soul meaningful words slike "the beast will rule the hearts of man till mankind falls to rape again". A quite haunting yet beautifully faint guitar passage opens up "Finger..." and finds reprisal later on in the song, almost serving as "quiet time" for the listener to deeply think about just what Tim is saying. Disturbing material for sure.

-King
Fowley, liner notes

This song was written by Greg, even though he quit the band after the debut album. It is an excellent piece of music, and probably the closest thing to a ballad on the LP.

“Finger of Scorn” was one of our original pre “Frost & Fire” songs, which Greg wrote.

-Robert Garven, Diabolical Conquest interview

"Finger Of Scorn" was one
of my songs that the band used with my blessing.

Google translate below. If you can provide a better translation, please contact!

What they mean for you as Dexter Ward and hence the heavy metal;The
Dexter Ward for me right now is the output from my everyday life and a
new dream to chase from beginning to end without having great
expectations, only to be driven fun. The reference to the Heavy Metal I will summarize my answer to one song, "Finger Of Scorn" gods Cirith Ungol. The emotions that flow through the notes are probably the most perfect art form that has existed on this planet. Monument real for generations to come. The Heavy Metal is a genre that has created more songs similar level, so that rightfully has the highest place in my heart.

Lyrics

To see what lies beyond our sight.
The secrets robed in blackest night.
The things we dream, but never see.
Caged and blinded by the Beast.

From age to age it stalked the earth
The apish scum of evil birth
Up from slime it has seen man crawl
It waits to see our final fall

The Finger of Scorn! Points to us all!
The Finger of Scorn! Points!

Black idols lie, beneath the sea
They hold the secrets of our destiny
The ancient tales are left to die
And leave mankind to wonder why

The Finger of Scorn! Points to us all!
The Finger of Scorn! Points! to our fall!!

*solo by Jerry Fogle*

The beast will rule the hearts of men
'Till mankind falls to ape again
And when our souls are stripped and torn
Still we face the Finger of Scorn!

This was written already in the 70's. The song with the same name as the band's name. The name is taken from J.R.R. Tolkkien's The Two Towers.

...But it's the album closer and band theme song "Cirith Ungol" that really needs to be heard. "Try to run, try to hide, if you don't, you'll surely die" says Tim and yet again we're off into the doom and dirge. This song closes the album off really well with some tight, odd time changes, wild vocal echo played right where it's needed, and some damn fine placing.

-King
Fowley, liner notes

Jerry’s solo on “Cirith Ungol” was the best 30 seconds of our 22 year career!

-Robert Garven

A skydive video clip created by Jim Barraza:

About the bandname

They took their name from the place Cirith Ungol in J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The name Cirith Ungol is Elvish
and means "Pass of the Spider". While the place in Tolkien's book is
pronounced "kirith ungol", the band pronounced it "sirith ungol". The
band said in a later interview they had some problems with the name:

Everyone in the band was a big "Sword and Sorcery" literature fan,
especially Greg [Lindstrom, guitars] and I. He would always turn us on
to the great writers who gave us inspiration for our music. We read all
the books... Conan, Bran Mak Morn, etcetera, but the books that stood out in my mind are Michael Moorcock's masterpieces: Elric, Hawkmoon, Corum
among others. Greg Lindstrom and I met at an English Literature class
where the teacher was reading Lord of the Rings... and Greg and I read
it and it had an influence on our music and feelings. In retrospect I
wish we had picked something easier to remember because a lot of our
trouble has been over our name. People couldn't pronounce it or
remember it, but we figured once they did they wouldn't forget it!
We've humorously been called "Sarah's Uncle" and "Serious Uncool," for
example! I know other bands are using the Tolkien angle. Led Zeppelin
even made references to it in their earlier songs. I think he was an
influence both then and now on many people.

-Robert Garven

I remember some other possible band names we were conpagering: Minas
Tirith, Khazad Dum, and Uruk Hai, all names from "The Lord Of The
Rings". Rob and I both liked J.R.R. Tolkien and Enzo Ferrari, so we
knew our songs would cover both those subjects!